Arrangement for holding removable dental prothesis apparatus in the mouth



Aprll 15, 1952 FIOR N N 2,593,287

ARRANGEMENT FOR HOLDING REMOVABLE DENTAL PROTHESIS APPARATUS IN THE MOUTH Filed Jan. 8, 1948 IN V EN TOR.

v; /BEW Patented Apr. 15, 1952 ARRANGEMENT FOR HOLDING REMOVABLE DENTAL'PROTHESIS APPARATUS IN THE MOUTH AifreddFiorentini, Nice, France Application January 8, 1948, Serial No. 1,262 InItalyJanuary 4, 1947 SectionLPublic Law 690, August 8,1946 "Patent expires January 4, 1967 '6 Claims. 1

.My. invention has for its object an arrangement forholding "removable dentures in the mouth and its essential feature consists in that it includes .a male part adapted to be welded to the metalycrown capping a sound tooth and a femalepartpartly embedded in the denture and formed with a groove adapted tomove over a projection of the male part and held in position bythepressure exerted at the lower end of said projectiorrby a 'ball'submittedto the pressure of ahelical spring.

.This arrangementallows the easypositioning and removal of the denture by the person carrying it and makes its accidental displacement or removal impossiblaproviding thereby complete reliability.

l'I havei'illustrated diagrammatically in accom panying drawings and by way-of example 'a preferred embodiment of my invention. "In said drawings:

"Fig. 1 is" an 'elevational view of the complete arrangement, thecrown shown in Fig. 2i-and Fig. 4Lbeing. omitted.

.Fig z is "a cross-sectional viewthrough line II-e-Ildf Fig; 1;

."Fig. 13 isv a horizontal cross-sectional view through line;III- III of Fig. 2 seenin'the directionof the arrows;

.Fig. 4 is ahorizontal cross-sectional view of a modification;

"Fig."5.-is a longitudinal sectional view through line V-V of Fig. 2, the female 'part being ready for insertion over the malepart shown in an elevational view;

"Figifi is a transversal cross-section. of the male part;

'Figfl. is atransversal cross-section of the male part of a modification;

Fig. 8 is a plan view; and. Fig. 9 is a side view Of .a modified member adapted to replace the ball shown in'Fig; '2.

According to the embodiment illustrated in Figs. 1, 2 and.3,the male portion of the arrangement is constituted by a projection l assuming a dove-tailedporflike :suitable cross-section and extendingat the rear of. a capping. 3 throughout its height and secured thereto by apart 2 with an inner rounded wall and showing a tapering terminal cross-section; the shape of this part is designed in a manner such that it may be welded to .the metal crown capping'3 .or a sound tooth forming a pillarand illustrated broken lines. Said part shows a large contacting surface ensuring'a perfect weld.

The female portion is embe'dded inside the denture illustrated in broken lines in Fig. 2. itfis constituted by a locking member 4 showing onthe side adapted to come into contact with .themale part'a groove 5 the cross-section ofwhichconforms to that of the projection over which itis to be fitted. The operative wall of the groove 5 on the side facing the extension 2 isshorter than the opposite wall and its location is shifted rearwardly so as to allow thepassage of'saidextension. The lower part of the femalelocking member 4 is formed with a channel 6 containing aball l urged towards groove 5 by thehelically wound spring 8. Said channel opens into groove '5 through a port of restricted area preve-ntingthe passage of the ball throughit, while the opposite end of the channel isclosed by the screw Sagainst which the spring 8 abuts, The channel-isrsfurthermore in communication'withtheatmosphere through a small channel II] passing througlrithe sidewall of the denture; said lchannel'servessffor the washing of the passage 6 of :the :balleandpf the spring. I

The locking member 4 may include .oyerpart of its height (Fig. 3)'a lateral projection H'ifor securing thereto a plate I l thatmaysimulate the front surface of a tooth. 'Said plate concealsthe part ofthe locking member adjacentpthe'pillar tooth. The remainder of the locking member" is embedded inside the denture. .Accordingtothe material used for the apparatus, the block may be completely or onlypartly embedded therein.

Obviously the screw B'maybe replaced byxa plate l2 screwed over the locking member (Fig. 4) or through any other stop.

"Similarly, any other part assuming-a rounded shape at its end such as that illustrated at I3 in Figs. 5, 8 and 9 may be used instead ofnatball.

The projection and'the groove may also assume a V-shaped, or any other suitable, cross-section as desired.

The apparatus is held in place throughthe ball I that exerts a pressure on the projection and urges the lateral faces of the latter against those of the groove, which prevents any undesired release. The pressure of the ball isresilientldue'to thepresence of the helical spring 8.

The chief components of the apparatus {are preferably made of inoxidizable metal, but they may be made as well of any other material and they may also assume'any otherdesired shape or size.

What I claim is:

1. In a locking means for removable dentures, in combination,a capping adapted to fit over a natural tooth; a projection on-said' capping ex- 3 tending substantially the total height of said capping and having substantially identical transversal cross-sections perpendicular to the height, said cross-sections being restricted near the capping; a locking member adapted to be rigidly secured to a denture, said locking member having a groove of the same transversal cross-section as that of the projection on said capping and being slidingly engaged by said projection, said locking member having a channel extending substantially at right angles to and communicating at one end thereof with said groove, said channel being slightly restricted at said one end near the groove; and a spring-loaded element slidably arranged in said channel adjacent said groove and projecting into the same but retained by the restricted end of said channel, whereby when the locking member is slid in place over said projection, said element will be spring-pressed against said projection. thereby frictionally engaging the same.

2. In a locking means for removable dentures, in combination, a capping adapted to fit over a natural tooth; a projection on said capping extending substantially the total height of said capping and having substantially identical transversal cross-sections perpendicular to the height, said cross-sections being restricted near the capping; a locking member adapted to be rigidly secured to a denture, said locking member having a groove of the same transversal cross-section as that of the projection on said capping and being slidingly engaged by said projection, said locking member having a channel extending substantially at right angles to and communicating at one end thereof with said groove, said channel being slightly restricted at said one end near the groove; a spring-loaded element slidably arranged in said channel adjacent said groove re tained therein by the restricted end of said channel, said element being rounded at the side facing said groove, said locking member having a second channel extending substantially at right angles to the first channel and in communication with said first channel and atmosphere.

'3. In a locking means for removable dentures, in combination, a capping adapted to fit over a natural tooth; a projection on said capping extending substantially the total height of said capping and having substantially identical transversal cross-sections perpendicular to the height, said cross-sections being restricted near the capping; a locking member adapted to be rigidly secured to a denture, said locking member having a groove of the same transversal cross-section as that of the projection on said capping and being slidingly engaged by said projection, said locking member having a channel extending substantially at right angles to and communicating at one end thereof with said groove, said channel being slightly restricted at said one end near the groove; an element having a rounded face slidably arranged inside said channel retained therein by the restricted end of said channel and facing said groove with its rounded face; 'a spring forcing said element towardssaid groove; and means for retaining said spring.

'4. In a locking means for removable dentures; in combination, a capping adapted to fit over a natural tooth; a projection on said capping extending substantially the total height of said capping and having substantially identical transversal cross-sections perpendicular to the height, said cross-sections being restricted near the capping; a locking member adapted to be rigidly secured to a denture, said locking member having a groove of the same transversal cross-section as that of the projection on said capping and being slidingly engaged by said projection, said locking member having a channel extending substantially at right angles to and communicating at one end thereof with said groove, said channel being slightly restricted at said one end near the groove and provided with a screw thread at its other end; a ball slidably arranged inside said channel retained therein by the restricted end of said channel; a spring forcing said ball towards said groove; and a screw adapted to be threaded into the screw thread at the other end of said channel and to retain said spring.

x 5. In a locking means for removable dentures. in combination, a capping adapted to fit over a natural tooth; a projection on said capping extending substantially the total height of said capping and having substantially identical transversal dovetailed cross-sections perpendicular to the height; a locking member adapted to be rigidly secured to a denture, said locking member haV-E ing a groove of the same transversal cross-section as that of the projection on said capping and being slidingly engaged by said projection, said locking member having a channel extending substantially at right angles to and communicating at one end thereof with said groove, said channel being slightly restricted at said one end near the groove; and a spring-loaded element slidably arranged in said channel adjacent said groove retained by the restricted end of said channel, said element being rounded at the side facing said groove, whereby when the locking member is slid in place over said projection, the rounded side of said element will be springpressed against'said projection, thereby frictionally engaging the same. 7

6. In a locking means for removable dentures, in combination, a capping adapted to fit over .a natural tooth; a projection on said capping extending substantially the total height of said capping and having substantially identical transversal cross-sections perpendicular to the height, said cross-sections being restricted near the capping; a locking member adapted to be rigidly secured to a denture,,said locking member having a groove of the same transversal cross-section as that of the projection on said capping and being slidingly engaged by said projection, said locking member having a channel extending substantially at right angles to and communicating at one end thereof with said groove, said channel being slightly restricted at said one end near the groove; a spring-loaded element slidably arranged in said channel adjacent said groove retained therein by the restricted end of said channel, said element being rounded at the side facing said groove; and means on the front face of said locking member adapted to hold a false tooth front.

ALFREDO FIORENTINI.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS- 

